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Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II

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Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II review – Viewfinder, LCD and video

The touch functionality of the G1 X Mark II makes navigation of the menu a breeze, but the way the screen protrudes from the body, even when it’s pushed back, means it’s not attractive to look at from the rear. Flipped out, the display feels rather flimsy. When it’s tilted by 180° and the camera is held at arm’s length, the raised profile of the hotshoe also obscures the exposure settings at the bottom – which is not ideal when you’re attempting to shoot a self-portrait.

More complimentary things can be said about the EVF, which, although not cheap, is an accessory most users will want to consider. There’s a reassuring click as the small electronic pins make contact with the accessory port, and just like most EVFs, the same screen information appears in the viewfinder – unless the display button is used to overlay a rule of thirds grid and present the histogram in the top right corner of the display. The near-instant switch from screen to EVF is courtesy of a highly sensitive eye sensor, and although there’s a fraction of a second delay when pulling the camera away and returning to the screen, it’s not a cause for concern.

The movie-rec button can be used to start high-definition video recording in any manual-shooting mode, with a maximum frame rate of 30fps. Moving subjects are recorded very well and the zoom control in video mode benefits from being purposely slowed down to encourage smoother results. There’s the option to shoot movies in mono or with a sepia tone too, and the five-axis enhanced dynamic IS system makes it easy to record judder-free videos when the camera is handheld as opposed to being locked off on a tripod or similar support. Missing a mic port, users are limited to the camera’s in-built microphone, but listening to our footage revealed perfectly reasonable audio when the wind filter was set to auto.